Government agency disaster recovery support contacts

Transcription

1 Government agency disaster recovery support contacts Table of contents: Help from DisasterAssistance.gov and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Page 1 Disaster assistance available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Page 2 Applying for FEMA assistance Page 3 Home and property disaster loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA) Page 4-5 Individuals and Households Program: other needs assistance Page 6 Help from Disaster Assistance and Emergency Relief Program: tax counseling Page 7

2 For your convenience, we re providing you with contact and other information from government agencies that help people who are impacted by a federally-declared disaster. These agencies may be able to provide you with additional support, such as financial help for critical expenses, or direct you to other organizations for further assistance. This information was copied from the various sites, for the most up-to-date information and forms, please refer to the agency websites and contact numbers listed on the following pages. Help from DisasterAssistance.gov and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) This site provides access to disaster help and resources for a number of categories including: employment, financial, food, housing, legal and medical. On this site, you can obtain disaster information and: 1. Find personal assistance (requires that you participate in an 11 question survey to help recommend what is most applicable to your situation). 2. Apply for assistance (from over 70 forms of assistance from 17 Federal agencies) 3. Check your application for assistance status This site provides a full listing of all Federal programs available to individuals, State and local governments (including the District of Columbia); federally-recognized Indian tribal governments; Territories (and possessions) of the United States; domestic public, quasi- public, and private profit and nonprofit organizations and institutions and specialized groups. 1

3 Disaster assistance available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) FEMA support Housing needs Temporary Housing (a place to live for a limited period of time): Financial assistance may be available to rent a different place to live, or a government provided housing unit when rental properties are not available. Search for information about housing rental resources. Repair: Financial assistance may be available to homeowners to repair damage from the disaster to their primary residence that is not covered by insurance. The goal is to make the damaged home safe, sanitary, and functional. Replacement: Financial assistance may be available to homeowners to replace their home destroyed in the disaster that is not covered by insurance. The goal is to help the homeowner with the cost of replacing their destroyed home. Permanent or semi-permanent housing construction: Direct assistance or money for the construction of a home. This type of help occurs only in insular areas or other locations specified by FEMA, where no other type of housing assistance is possible. Other than housing needs Money is available for necessary expenses and serious needs caused by the disaster. This includes: Disaster-related medical and dental expenses. Disaster-related funeral and burial expenses. Clothing; household items (room furnishings, appliances); tools (specialized or protective clothing and equipment). Required for your job; necessary educational materials (computers, school books, supplies). Fuels for primary heat source (heating oil, gas). Clean-up items (wet/dry vacuum, dehumidifier). Disaster-related damage to a vehicle. Moving and storage expenses related to the disaster (moving and storing property to avoid additional disaster damage while disaster-related repairs are being made to the home). Other necessary expenses or serious needs as determined by FEMA. Other expenses that are authorized by law. FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency The website below provides a great deal of information and resources. You are also able to: Apply for disaster assistance Obtain details on tools, teams, individual and public assistance View topics, blogs, news releases And more For more information, visit: Or call: FEMA (3362) The speech or hearing impaired may call: (TTY) Additional services Crisis counseling Disaster unemployment assistance Legal services Special tax considerations 2

4 Applying for FEMA assistance Step 1: Whether applying online at DisasterAssistance.gov from your computer or over the phone through a FEMA call center, you should have a pen and paper and the following information ready: Your Social Security number Current and pre-disaster address A telephone number where you can be contacted Insurance information Total household annual income A routing and account number from your bank (only necessary if you want to have disaster assistance funds transferred directly into your bank account). A description of your losses that were caused by the disaster After you ve completed your application for assistance, you will receive a FEMA application number. You will need to write down that number and keep it for future reference. Step 2: Apply to FEMA in one of three ways: Online: DisasterAssistance.gov Smartphone: m.fema.gov Phone: (TTY: for people with speech or hearing disabilities) Please note that if you have insurance, you must also file a claim with your insurance company. Is disaster help available if I have insurance? Possibly. If you have not already contacted your insurance agent to file a claim, please do this as soon as possible. Failure to file a claim with your insurance company may affect your eligibility for assistance. After filing a claim, if any of the following situations occur FEMA may be able to provide some assistance: Your insurance settlement is delayed. Delayed means a decision on your insurance settlement has been delayed longer than 30-days from the time you filed the claim. If a decision on your insurance settlement has been delayed, you will need to write a letter to FEMA explaining the circumstance. You should include documentation from the insurance company proving that you filed the claim. If you filed your claim over the telephone, you should include the claim number, date when you applied, and the estimated time of how long it will take to receive your settlement. Any help awarded to you by FEMA would be considered an advance and must be repaid to FEMA once an insurance settlement is received. Your insurance settlement is insuffcient to meet your disaster-related needs. If you have received the maximum settlement from your insurance and still have an unmet disaster-related need, you will need to write a letter to FEMA indicating the unmet disaster-related need. You will also need to send in documentation from your insurance company for review. You have exhausted the Additional Living Expenses (ALE) provided by your insurance company. If you have received the maximum settlement from your insurance for Additional Living Expenses (Loss of Use) and still need help with your disaster-related temporary housing need, write a letter to FEMA indicating why you continue to have a temporary housing need. You will also need to provide documentation to prove use of additional living expenses from insurance, and a permanent housing plan. You are unable to locate rental resources in your area. The FEMA Helpline has a list of rental resources in the disaster area. If no resources are available in your county, then the Helpline agent can provide you with resources in an adjacent county. You have up to twelve (12) months from the date you registered with FEMA to submit your insurance information for review. By law, we cannot provide money to individuals or households for losses that are covered by insurance. 3

5 Home and property disaster loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA) The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is responsible for providing affordable, timely and accessible financial assistance to homeowners and renters located in a declared disaster area. Financial assistance is available in the form of low-interest, long-term loans for losses that are not fully covered by insurance or other recoveries. SBA s disaster loans are the primary form of Federal assistance for the repair and rebuilding of non-farm, private sector disaster losses. The disaster loan program is the only form of SBA assistance not limited to small businesses. Homeowners can apply for a real property loan for up to $200,000 to repair or replace their primary residence to its predisaster condition. The loan may not be used to upgrade the home or make additions to it. If, however, building codes require structural improvements to repair the disaster damage, the loan may be used to meet these requirements. Loans may be increased by as much as 20 percent of the verified losses (not to exceed $200,000) to protect the damaged real property from possible future disasters of the same kind. Homeowners or renters can apply for a personal property loan for up to $40,000 to help repair or replace personal property, such as clothing, furniture, automobiles, etc., lost in the disaster. As a rule of thumb, personal property is anything that is not considered real estate or a part of the actual structure. This loan may not be used to replace extraordinarily expensive or irreplaceable items, such as antiques, collections, pleasure boats, recreational vehicles, fur coats, etc. General program requirements To be eligible for SBA assistance, homeowners and renters must have sustained physical damage and be located in a disaster declared county. Application process For application information, please call , visit or DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov. Program contact information For more information about this program, please visit: Managing agency U.S. Small Business Administration 4

6 Home and property disaster loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA) continued Frequently asked questions How much can I borrow? The amount SBA will lend depends on the cost of repairing or replacing your home and/or personal property, minus any insurance settlements or grants. SBA will send an inspector to estimate the cost of your damage once you have completed and returned your loan application. Can the SBA refinance my mortgage? In some cases, SBA can refinance all or part of a previous mortgage when the applicant does not have credit available elsewhere, has suffered substantial disaster damage not covered by insurance, and intends to repair the damage. SBA considers refinancing when processing each application. How soon before I know I have been approved? The SBA disaster assistance program helps with long-term, low-interest rebuilding and repair of damaged property, unlike immediate emergency relief provided by relief organizations. To make a loan, we must know the repair cost, be assured that you can repay the loan, and take reasonable safeguards to make sure the loan is repaid. The sooner you return the completed loan application, the sooner SBA can process the application. SBA tries to make a decision on each application within 14 days. Make sure the application is complete, since missing information is a major cause for delays. What information must I submit for a home and/or personal property loan? You must submit the completed loan application and a signed and dated IRS form 8821 giving permission for the IRS to provide SBA your tax return information. Is collateral required for these loans? Loans over $14,000 must be secured to the extent possible. The SBA will not decline a loan if you do not have enough collateral, but will ask for whatever collateral is available. That usually consists of a first or second mortgage on the damaged real estate. Should I wait for my insurance settlement before I file my loan application? No, do not miss the filing deadline by waiting for an insurance settlement. Final insurance information can be added after a settlement is made. SBA can approve a loan for the total replacement cost up to our lending limits. Once your insurance settles, if there is a duplication of benefits, we will apply those funds to the balance of your disaster loan. I m a farmer, and my barns, fence, and some of my crops were damaged, as well as my home. Can I apply to SBA for assistance? You may apply for an SBA disaster loan to cover the damage to your home and its contents only. SBA cannot cover agriculture losses. Contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture for recovery assistance for your farm at Essential information In Presidentially declared disasters, residents and business owners can begin the disaster application process by registering online with the Federal Emergency Management Agency at or by calling FEMA at FEMA (3362). For more information about SBA disaster assistance plus disaster preparedness for individuals and businesses visit: For more information, go to or call BE-READY to order or download free sample emergency plans, business preparedness checklists, and templates providing detailed business continuity and preparedness information. 5

7 Individuals and Households Program: other needs assistance Managing organization U.S. Department of Homeland Security The Individuals and Households Program provides assistance to individuals and households affected by a disaster to enable them to address necessary expenses and serious needs, which cannot be met through other forms of disaster assistance or insurance. Forms of other needs assistance under IHP include personal property, medical, dental and funeral. General program requirements: To receive money for Other than Housing Needs that are the result of a disaster, all the following must be true: You have losses in an area that has been declared a disaster area by the President of the United States You have no insurance, or have filed for insurance benefits and the damage to your property is not covered by your insurance, or your insurance settlement is insuffcient to meet your losses Application process To apply for this program please contact FEMA at FEMA ( ) or visit: index.shtm Program contact information You can visit a local Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) for assistance, or call the FEMA helpline for teleregistration or with questions about FEMA other needs assistance: You or someone who lives with you is a citizen of the United States, a non-citizen national, or a qualified alien You have necessary expenses or serious needs because of the disaster You have accepted assistance from all other sources for which you are eligible, such as insurance proceeds or Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans. 6

8 Help from Disaster Assistance and Emergency Relief Program: tax counseling Managing organization U.S. Department of the Treasury The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provides tax counseling and assistance to taxpayers whose property has been damaged or lost in a Federally declared disaster area. The following are examples of the types of assistance available: Assistance with filing claims for tax refunds Tax information and assistance Disaster kits containing tax forms and publications to help victims determine the amount of a casualty loss deduction for destroyed property Information on ways to reconstruct destroyed financial records Copies or transcripts of previously filed tax returns free of charge General program requirements Taxpayers have the option to deduct non-reimbursed casualty losses that occurred in a Federally declared disaster area in the year the disaster occurred or file an amended return and deduct the loss in the year immediately preceding the year the disaster occurred. Taxpayers must use Form 4684 to report a gain or deductible loss from a casualty. The IRS may postpone tax deadlines to provide extra time to file returns and pay taxes. Interest may decrease for the extensive period of time to file tax returns and pay taxes. Application process This tax relief is automatic for affected taxpayers whose address of record is in a Federally declared disaster area. All other affected taxpayers must self identify for disaster relief by contacting the IRS at Program contactinformation For more information about the program, please visit: Or contact your local Taxpayer Assistance Center: For additional information contact: IRS Tax Forms & Publications SE:W:CAR:MP:FP, IR Constitution Ave NW Washington, DC CS Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. NMLSR ID